The civilized world needs to stop coddling these third world punks and send them a message that there’s no profit in hijacking. Continuing to pay ransoms only reinforces their behavior. Why isn’t anyone monitoring their escape and killing every one of them as they attempt to get away? The only way off the ship is by boat and a quick airstrike would put an end to that.
Every ship at sea needs to be able to defend itself. It doesn’t take much training or money to arm every crew member with a pump shotgun and have them fire down at anyone dumb enough to attempt to board a moving vessel. Throw a few shrapnel grenades down at them for good measure. They’ll think twice next time.
Current Somali conditions have a lot to do with the “civilized world” … Western and Europeans have meddled in this country’s politics for years upon years and have helped drive the country into what it is today.
This is just a sad result of colonialism and extreme poverty …
Azakiel, sounds to me like are you justifying the aberrant behavior of the pirates. I agree with Surprised, the Chinese should not have paid the ransom and instead acted aggressively, thereby setting an example to future would-be pirates. Although some innocents would have lost their lives, they would have died in the service of their country and ultimately for the greater good.
XERXES … better re-read my comments. I totally agree with Surprised and went a step further in recommending these “pirates” be hunted down and eliminated. And I don’t care if their country was used and abused by others on their continent. That doesn’t give them the right to hijack, kidnap, and demand money. These people are human garbage.
Azekiel, my mistake and I apologize. I meant to direct my comments to crookbythebook. You & I are indeed on the same page. Merry Christmas & all good things to you in 2010.
Crookbythebook will wake up some day in the same way the current adminstration has. One cannot extend a hand to criminal bottom feeders asking “can’t we just get along”. One deals with Iran, North Korea and pirates in one way and one way only…force…regardless of the fact they come from poverty. You kill them before they kill you. So put firepower on ships and get on with commerce already.
While the control vessel stands back at a “safe” distance with a surface to surface shoulder fired missle trained on the target, the speedboat approaches and boards. *IF* armed resistance is encountered, the control vessel will fire the missle(s)at the target vessel in retaliation, sinking the target vessel. All they are out is their (expendable) boarding party, and the price of their missle(s). Pump shotguns would be of *NO* value against such tactics.
Piracy played a part in liberating the United States from their British oppressors.
Piracy sadly is these Somali’s last option. They are farmers who had their livelihood ruined — nuclear waste was dumped on their shores and with it their fishing livelihoods disappeared. Corruption and extreme poverty pushed them to the criminal actions they are now taking.
It absolutely does not excuse the criminal actions and threats of violence, but the piracy needs to be viewed in proper context– these are survival reactions to being cornered like animals. We might do well to address the source of their frustrations– pulling the root will do a lot more than simply trimming the weeds that grow out of it.
They are attacking sailors, not soldiers, on the high seas. What can be done? You cannot snap your fingers and turn sailors into soldiers, it is not a matter of simply giving them guns. You cannot patrol the oceans, they are too big. You cannot bomb the ships since you would kill the hostages and cargo. And with seizures of increasingly sensitive cargo (like a fully loaded supertanker) there are obviously huge concerns with initiating any sort of military response.
Ok Matt, now that you’ve put it into context, what’s the solution? It is ridiculous that this piratical activity continue unabated and with no repercussions to the pirates.
As was mentioned before, let the pirates think they got away with the ransom and when it is safe, blow them out of the water!!! ‘Course, that is my uneducated, knee jerk reaction. Isn’t there some way the ransom could be tracked to the pirates hideout where, more likely than not, other pirates are hiding? Then bomb the s*** out of them!!!
I’m sure many are thinking violence begets violence. But for some people, violence is the only thing they respond to.
And what are the pirates doing with all that booty? Rebuilding the infrastructure in Somalia? I doubt it….ill gotten gains leads to an increase in illicit activities.
Matt too is living in a bubble surrounded by academics it seems. Why, Matt, does a potential bank bandit not approach a bank if he sees a cop car in the parking lot or a security guard present? Why doesn’t a criminal break in to his neighbor’s house (an NRA memeber)to steal stuff? Why did Momar Gadaffi (sp) of Libia give up his terrorist activities after his tent was bombed? Of course you arm the ship. Arm the sailors, hire contractors, etc…all cheaper than the ransom. Pirates aren’t thinking of their livelihoods taken away…they are thinking of the MONEY in the millions, some of which they will get, if they board a ship and take hostages. Worldwide, in every country, there are criminals from all walks of life and one protects oneself from these criminals with an assurance of destruction if they proceed. Kill them before they get on board…and yes with real guns…not talk or searching for the “root” of the weed.
Putz!
1. Arm the ships. Not pumpshot guns but gatling guns and and LAW or RPG rockets
2. Strike into the ports where the pirates are operating. Destroy their boats-last I saw, there are no ocean going boat manufacturers in that country so after a while their ability to operate outside of brownwater fishing boats would be eliminated.
3. Convoys made up of a rotating group of the navies of the world. Start in South Africa all the way up the Horn Of Africa.
In a year, this would cease to be a problem.
I am surprised that the Chinese paid…I would have been less surprised if they dropped a bomb on the ship.
I am surprised that the Chinese paid…I would have been less surprised if they dropped a bomb on the ship.
The civilized world needs to stop coddling these third world punks and send them a message that there’s no profit in hijacking. Continuing to pay ransoms only reinforces their behavior. Why isn’t anyone monitoring their escape and killing every one of them as they attempt to get away? The only way off the ship is by boat and a quick airstrike would put an end to that.
Every ship at sea needs to be able to defend itself. It doesn’t take much training or money to arm every crew member with a pump shotgun and have them fire down at anyone dumb enough to attempt to board a moving vessel. Throw a few shrapnel grenades down at them for good measure. They’ll think twice next time.
Current Somali conditions have a lot to do with the “civilized world” … Western and Europeans have meddled in this country’s politics for years upon years and have helped drive the country into what it is today.
This is just a sad result of colonialism and extreme poverty …
Azakiel, sounds to me like are you justifying the aberrant behavior of the pirates. I agree with Surprised, the Chinese should not have paid the ransom and instead acted aggressively, thereby setting an example to future would-be pirates. Although some innocents would have lost their lives, they would have died in the service of their country and ultimately for the greater good.
XERXES … better re-read my comments. I totally agree with Surprised and went a step further in recommending these “pirates” be hunted down and eliminated. And I don’t care if their country was used and abused by others on their continent. That doesn’t give them the right to hijack, kidnap, and demand money. These people are human garbage.
Azekiel, my mistake and I apologize. I meant to direct my comments to crookbythebook. You & I are indeed on the same page. Merry Christmas & all good things to you in 2010.
Crookbythebook will wake up some day in the same way the current adminstration has. One cannot extend a hand to criminal bottom feeders asking “can’t we just get along”. One deals with Iran, North Korea and pirates in one way and one way only…force…regardless of the fact they come from poverty. You kill them before they kill you. So put firepower on ships and get on with commerce already.
While the control vessel stands back at a “safe” distance with a surface to surface shoulder fired missle trained on the target, the speedboat approaches and boards. *IF* armed resistance is encountered, the control vessel will fire the missle(s)at the target vessel in retaliation, sinking the target vessel. All they are out is their (expendable) boarding party, and the price of their missle(s). Pump shotguns would be of *NO* value against such tactics.
Piracy played a part in liberating the United States from their British oppressors.
Piracy sadly is these Somali’s last option. They are farmers who had their livelihood ruined — nuclear waste was dumped on their shores and with it their fishing livelihoods disappeared. Corruption and extreme poverty pushed them to the criminal actions they are now taking.
It absolutely does not excuse the criminal actions and threats of violence, but the piracy needs to be viewed in proper context– these are survival reactions to being cornered like animals. We might do well to address the source of their frustrations– pulling the root will do a lot more than simply trimming the weeds that grow out of it.
They are attacking sailors, not soldiers, on the high seas. What can be done? You cannot snap your fingers and turn sailors into soldiers, it is not a matter of simply giving them guns. You cannot patrol the oceans, they are too big. You cannot bomb the ships since you would kill the hostages and cargo. And with seizures of increasingly sensitive cargo (like a fully loaded supertanker) there are obviously huge concerns with initiating any sort of military response.
Ok Matt, now that you’ve put it into context, what’s the solution? It is ridiculous that this piratical activity continue unabated and with no repercussions to the pirates.
As was mentioned before, let the pirates think they got away with the ransom and when it is safe, blow them out of the water!!! ‘Course, that is my uneducated, knee jerk reaction. Isn’t there some way the ransom could be tracked to the pirates hideout where, more likely than not, other pirates are hiding? Then bomb the s*** out of them!!!
I’m sure many are thinking violence begets violence. But for some people, violence is the only thing they respond to.
And what are the pirates doing with all that booty? Rebuilding the infrastructure in Somalia? I doubt it….ill gotten gains leads to an increase in illicit activities.
Matt too is living in a bubble surrounded by academics it seems. Why, Matt, does a potential bank bandit not approach a bank if he sees a cop car in the parking lot or a security guard present? Why doesn’t a criminal break in to his neighbor’s house (an NRA memeber)to steal stuff? Why did Momar Gadaffi (sp) of Libia give up his terrorist activities after his tent was bombed? Of course you arm the ship. Arm the sailors, hire contractors, etc…all cheaper than the ransom. Pirates aren’t thinking of their livelihoods taken away…they are thinking of the MONEY in the millions, some of which they will get, if they board a ship and take hostages. Worldwide, in every country, there are criminals from all walks of life and one protects oneself from these criminals with an assurance of destruction if they proceed. Kill them before they get on board…and yes with real guns…not talk or searching for the “root” of the weed.
Putz!
I think that there are 3 solutions
1. Arm the ships. Not pumpshot guns but gatling guns and and LAW or RPG rockets
2. Strike into the ports where the pirates are operating. Destroy their boats-last I saw, there are no ocean going boat manufacturers in that country so after a while their ability to operate outside of brownwater fishing boats would be eliminated.
3. Convoys made up of a rotating group of the navies of the world. Start in South Africa all the way up the Horn Of Africa.
In a year, this would cease to be a problem.